A West Islip man has been sentenced to four months in jail and five years of probation for the brutal killing of his aunt’s five-year-old Chihuahua-mix dog, Pup-Pup, an attack that left the small dog with horrific injuries that led to its death.
Peter Minichello, 22, pleaded guilty in June 2024 to charges including Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree. On August 19, Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz handed down the sentence, which also includes a lifetime ban on owning or possessing any animals.
The incident occurred on July 6, 2022, when Minichello was left alone at home with Pup-Pup while his mother and aunt were at work. According to court documents and Minichello’s admissions, when his aunt returned home, she found the small dog inside its crate, unmoving, and covered in blood and bruises. Just that morning, Pup-Pup had been healthy and showed no signs of distress.
Despite the aunt’s efforts to seek medical attention, Pup-Pup succumbed to his injuries days later. A further investigation revealed that the dog had sustained multiple broken ribs, blunt force trauma to the head and body, and a penetrating wound to the elbow. The ultimate cause of death was determined to be a traumatic brain injury.
“What this defendant put an innocent animal through is as shocking as it is deplorable,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney condemning the act. “A dog’s love is unconditional, and my heart goes out to the defendant’s aunt who lost a beloved companion.”
